Six months after General Motors began coaxing consumers to fix their recalled vehicles with a social media campaign and the promise of $25 gift cards, the car manufacture says that about 70% of the 2.4 million vehicles recalled for a deadly ignition switch defect have been fixed. [More]
Government Policy
Michael Bolton Serenades The IRS: You’re The Anus Of Our Country
By 4.13.15
Since 2010, Congress has cut the budget for the IRS by around 20%, resulting in thousands of jobs being cut and millions of Americans unable to get much-needed help with their tax returns this year. This has had the effect of just making some people hate the IRS even more than they already did, but is this a case of kicking a man when he’s down? [More]
Makers Of SmartCandy Warned About Possibly Misleading Nutrition Claims
By 4.13.15
The Attorney General’s office for the state of New York is cautioning the company behind “vitamin infused snack” SmartCandy that its advertising may run afoul of state and federal regulations, according to a letter obtained by Consumerist. [More]
FDA: Antibiotic Use In Farm Animals Grew In Spite Of Regulation
By 4.10.15
Back in 2012, the FDA banned “extra-label” non-medical use in animals for the cephalosporin class of antibiotics, which are commonly used to treat humans for pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and other maladies. Not only did this restriction fail to curb the use of cephalosporins, but a new FDA report shows that the drug use increased following the ban. [More]
FCC Looking Into Verizon “Supercookies” That Track Wireless Users’ Behavior
By 4.10.15
For years, the Internet behavior of all Verizon Wireless smartphone customers was being tracked by “supercookies” on their devices that they could not opt out of. After the tracking became public knowledge, the company recently gave its customers a way to shake off the invasive snooping, but that isn’t stopping the FCC from looking into whether the program violated federal guidelines. [More]
Countdown Clock For Real Net Neutrality Lawsuits Starts Monday
By 4.10.15
The Net Neutrality rules narrowly approved by the FCC in February and made public in March will finally become part of the Federal Register on Monday, kicking off a 60-day countdown clock for everyone and their Aunt Peg to file a lawsuit to try to block, neuter, or gut the new regulations. [More]
FTC Temporarily Halts Deceptive Practices Of Mortgage Relief Operation
By 4.10.15
The Federal Trade Commission continued its crackdown of deceptive mortgage relief companies this week as a federal court granted the agency’s request to temporarily halt a Los Angeles-based company that charged consumers excessive upfront fees for services they never performed. [More]
NHTSA Head Considers Reopening Investigation Into Fiery Jeep Crashes Tied To 75 Deaths
By 4.10.15
Following a week in which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed two investigations without finding a defect or ordering a recall, the agency appears to be poised to reopen a probe into older Jeeps involved in fiery rear-end crashes. [More]
Nine Attorneys General Join “Corinthian 15,” Urge DOE To Provide Student Loan Debt Relief For Wronged Borrowers
By 4.10.15
A group of former and current Corinthian College Inc. students refusing to pay their federal student loans in protest of the government’s support of the crumbling for-profit college chain now have the backing of several top political officeholders afternine attorneys general from across the U.S. sent a letter to the Department of Education asking it to forgive the students’ loan debts. [More]
CFPB Takes Action Against Mortgage Relief Company Deceptively Using VA & FHA Logos On Ads
By 4.9.15
As we’ve mentioned in the past, it’s illegal for a company to misrepresent itself as an agent of the government, if it isn’t in fact affiliated with the government. But that doesn’t stop some companies from using these false affiliations to lure in customers. Such was the case for a California-based mortgage relief company recently taken down by federal regulators.
NHTSA Closes Five-Year Probe Into 1.8M GM Trucks & SUVs With Brake Failure; Doesn’t Order Recall
By 4.9.15
After five years of investigating why brake lines in some 1.8 million older trucks and SUVs have a tendency to fail, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration failed to find a safety defect and plans to close the probe without ordering General Motors to replace the often rusted brake lines. [More]
Sabra Recalling 30,000 Cases Of Classic Hummus Over Listeria Fears
By 4.9.15
Whether you like to dip pita chips or veggies, pretzels or just your fingers, check that hummus package before you go snacking: Sabra is recalling 30,000 cases of its classic flavor of hummus sold nationwide over fears that the product could be tainted with listeria. [More]
DEA Sued Over Secret Mass Surveillance Of Phone Calls
By 4.8.15
The backlash against the federal government’s surveillance programs continues. This time, the folks at Human Rights Watch have filed suit against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, alleging that the DEA’s bulk collection of data related to certain phone calls made by the organization runs afoul of basic protections afforded by the Constitution. [More]
NHTSA Closes Probe Into 1.9M Chrysler, Dodge Minivans Without Determining Cause Of Stalling Issue
By 4.8.15
Following months of analyzing data, reviewing a recall petition and assessing more than 720 consumers complaints, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to close a probe into nearly 1.9 million Chrysler minivans without finding a safety issue or determining why the vehicles stall. [More]
Robocalling Phantom Debt Collector Accused Of Harassing, Defrauding Consumers
By 4.8.15
People hate debt collectors, perhaps as much as, if not more than, they despise robocalls from telemarketers. And phantom debt collectors — those who attempt to collect debts that aren’t owed to them, if at all — are among the worst of the bunch. So when you combine the automated recorded messages of robocalls with the incessant harassment of phantom debt collectors, you create a particularly loathsome Frankenstein’s monster. [More]
AT&T To Pay $25M To Settle FCC Investigation Into Call Center ID Theft
By 4.8.15
FCC investigators have found that AT&T call center employees in Mexico, Colombia, and the Philippines illegally accessed and sold personal data — including names and (mostly partial) Social Security numbers — for around 280,000 customers. Thus, the telecom giant has agreed to settle with the Federal Communications Commission for $25 million, the Commission’s largest privacy and data security enforcement ever (at least until the next mammoth, inevitable cock-up). [More]
Dollar Tree, Family Dollar Expected To Close 340 Stores For Merger Approval
By 4.8.15
When Family Dollar accepted Dollar Tree’s proposal for a merger in January, the two companies estimated the deal would require the closing of no more than 300 stores. As federal regulators get closer to putting their stamp of approval on the dollar store marriage, they’re adding a few more stores to the chopping block. [More]
CFPB Launches Effort To Bring Financial Education To Schools
By 4.8.15
While it’s never too late to become financially literate, it certainly helps if you start early. That’s why the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is launching a national effort to improve financial education in schools.
